Local man who molested and raped young relatives sentenced in Fall River

A 23-year-old Rehoboth man who had been molesting and raping his younger relatives for the past decade was sentenced to serve eight to 10 years in state prison last week, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Andrew Briggs pleaded guilty last week in Fall River Superior Court to a multi-count indictment, charging him with rape of a child, statutory rape, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under 14 and dissemination of harmful material.

The defendant began to offend against the five victims when he was 9-years-old and continued the pattern of abuse until he was arrested at 21-years-old. The most serious of the crimes occurred when the defendant was between 19 and 21.

The case was prosecuted by Second Assistant District Attorney Silvia Rudman, and the state prison sentence was handed down by Judge Raffi Yessayan. In addition to the state prison term, Judge Yessayan also placed the defendant on supervised probation for five years, which is scheduled to begin upon his release from prison.

“This is very disturbing conduct, especially in light of the defendant’s age at the time of the offenses,” District Attorney Quinn said.